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Rapid Max charger at 220v in Ireland with 18v battery

03-28-2009, 03:32 AM

I'm seeking advice on how to charge Ridgid 18v HC batteries in Ireland (which has the same kind of 220v system as the UK)

I live in Ireland but I bought some Dual Voltage cordless gear in Home Depot in the US a year or so back (eg the R8823 MaxSelect Dual Voltage Impact Driver). I also bought a Rapid Max charger and a couple of 18v HC batteries.

My hope was to run the charger through a 220->110 volt converter. Unfortunately the one I used had a choice between 1800w and 50w setting and I stupidly used the 1800w setting. Possibly for this reason the Rapid Max charger remained OFF.

If I could buy a Ridge/Ridgid charger designed for use in the UK/Ireland that would be excellent. Failing that, some advice on the possibilities for running a US 110v charger through a converter would be most welcome.

I don't see how choosing the 1800w setting on your voltage converter could harm anything. It would only allow a device to potentially draw more wattage than the 50w setting would. Why not contact Rigid Tools for help? You could email them here:http://www.ridgid.com/Tools/Support/

Comment

Look for a true transformer converter which has a 220-240 Volt primary winding and a 110-120 Volt secondary winding. Then you'll be set. Some so called power converters do not put out sine wave power of the proper Voltage. They put out chopped wave forms and are only for resistive loads such as heaters or incandescent light bulbs. Some can be used with single speed series wound motors in some (mostly older) power tools.

Please note that what you want is known as a "Step Down Transformer". It can be made as a single winding autoformer, but a two winding transformer is a safer choice.

Without your power converter here where I could try some tests, there really is no way for me to even guess what's inside of it.

I'm seeking advice on how to charge Ridgid 18v HC batteries in Ireland (which has the same kind of 220v system as the UK)

I live in Ireland but I bought some Dual Voltage cordless gear in Home Depot in the US a year or so back (eg the R8823 MaxSelect Dual Voltage Impact Driver). I also bought a Rapid Max charger and a couple of 18v HC batteries.

My hope was to run the charger through a 220->110 volt converter. Unfortunately the one I used had a choice between 1800w and 50w setting and I stupidly used the 1800w setting. Possibly for this reason the Rapid Max charger remained OFF.

If I could buy a Ridge/Ridgid charger designed for use in the UK/Ireland that would be excellent. Failing that, some advice on the possibilities for running a US 110v charger through a converter would be most welcome.

Thanks!
Conor

hey conor, i have both cordless and impact driver and have blown both of them when trying to charge my batteries in ireland, iv tried everything and want to but another charger but i fear im wasting my time, have you found a solution to the converting the voltage.

I'm not sure if you've missed the date of this old thread, but it was early in 2009. I haven't seen "Fox" on the forum and I don't think he is a regular member.

Someone else of course may jump in here with an answer to your problem.

You could also try to contact Fox, by clicking on his post and sending him a private e-mail that would be auto-forwarded to whatever personal e-mail address he may have posted with the board. In that manner, that particular e-mail will be flagged that he has a "private message" waiting for him on the Ridgid forum, and he may want to revisit, in order to read and possibly answer you directly.

Sorry that I don't have an answer for you myself, but good luck and welcome to the Ridgid forum,